Carpenter&#39;s hammer



J. F. ERVAY CARPENTER'S HAMMER Filed June 26. 1929 MEA/TDR J. FT E'RVAY Sept. 8, 191,31.

CTI

Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITE STATES JOHN F. ERVAY, F PORTLAND, OREGON CARPENTER S HAMMER i Application filed June 26,

The main object of this invention is to provide a claw hammer with an adjustable head which will enable its angular relation to the handle to be varied for the purpose of better adapting it to special kinds of work.

The second object is to provide a hammer having all the properties of an ordinary claw hammer, and which in addition can be used as pinch bar as well as for the purpose of i' pulling nails in positions which would ordinarily be inaccessible to theliXed type of claw hammer.

The third obj ect is to so construct the hammer that the adjustment can be readily made without loss of time or the employment of fragile parts which might be dilicult to construct, or which might otherwise detract from the normal strength of the hammer.

These, and other objects, will becomel more apparent from the specification following as illustrated in th'e accompanying drawings, 1n which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a hammer head and handle.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure l is a perspective view of the latch member.

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4 4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the hammer used as a pinch bar.

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the head inclined in an opposite direction for nail-pulling purposes.

Similar numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the hammer head consists of a body 10 ou one side of which is formed the usual naildriving face 11 and on the opposite side of which are the claws 12. The head 10 is provided with a slotted socket 13 between which is mounted the shank 14 of the handle 15. A screw 16 -f forms a pivotal connection between the head 1929. Serial No. 373,897.

axis. The latch 21 is provided with a shank 22 which passes through the enlarged opening 23 in the head 10 within which opening is placed a spring 24 adapted to urge the latch 21 into engagement with one of the notches 55 17, 18 or 19. The end 25 of the shank 22 is made square and has riveted thereon a flat head 26 by means of which the latch 21 may be withdrawn manually.

lt is ldesirable to have the body of the handle 15 made of wood which is conlined within the extended sides 27 of the shank 14 by means of the rivets 28.

It will be noted that when the latch 21 occupies the notch 17 then the head is in the nor- G5 mal relation to the handle, or one which is ordinarily occupied in the common form of claw hammer; but if the notch 18 is occupied by the latch 2l then the device assumes the form shown in Figure 6; whereas it the notch 19 is occupied by the latch 21 the device is usable as a claw hammer as shown in F igure 5.

It will be noted that when used as a. claw hammer the strain which may be placed thereon is divided between the screw 16 and the tace l1 against which the handle bears, thereby providing the maximum amount of strength for a handle of a given size and material.

lt Will also be noted (as shown in Figure 6) that it is possible to introduce the head or' the hammer into places which are ordinarily not accessible when the hammer handle is normal to its head. Obviously, this angularity could be still further increased or varied and the number of notches increased without departing from the spirit of this invention. lt is also desirable to provide the sides of the head 1,0 with notches 29 to facilitate the withdrawal of the latch.

claim: Y Y

1. ln a claw hammer the combination of a head having a slotted socket, a handle pvoted in the slot of said socket, said handle having notches formed therein normally ly ing within said slot, a spring latch mounted in said head normally projecting` into said slot, and a head on said latch forming the fulcrum for the hammer when a nail is being drawn whereby said latch may be withdrawn from engagement with the notches in said handle for the purpose of permitting an alteration of the angular relation between said hammer and handle.

2. A claw hammer having in combination a head, a handle hinged to said head adapted to allow it to swing in either direction past its normal positio11,l11tcl1111oz1ns for holding sad hood 111 other oi sarl pos1t1o1111, said latch means consisting of a Wedge, a head for said latch forming a fulcrum for the hammer head, the driving end of said head bearing against said handle when in one of said lateral positions.

3. In a hammer, the combination of a body having a nail-driving face on one side thereof and a nail-pulling claw at the opposite side thereof with a handle hinged to said body between said claw and face adapted to permit same to swing to either side of its normal position with relation te said handle, and a latch between said handle and head adapted to hold the parts rigidly in a normal relation to each other or on either side thereof in one extreme position, said handle bearing against the nail-driving head of said hammer.

JOI-IN F. ERVAY. 

